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Ananda Nilayam / Sanctum Sanctorum
The very act of chanting and listening to the Lord’s name ‘Anandanilayavasa’, the resident of Ananda Nilayam, fills the hearts of devotees with transcedental ecstasy. The Lord Venkateswara’s saga is still more blissful. The hill on which he stands is splendid. Amidst these hills, the very sight of Anandanilayam, a uniquely glittering golden shrine, is still more magnificent.
The darshan of Lord’s most attractive, mesmerising life-size form makes our hearts reverberate with divine tunes of blissful ecstasy. In the sanctum sanctorum of Ananda Nilayam he stands in the posture of a lion in a unique posture. He is praised by his devotees with one thousand holy names. He adorns himself with beautiful garlands of scented, sacred flowers and gem-studded ornaments. He is offered mouth-watering, delicious ‘Naivedyam’, food offerings.
Even Lord Brahma has no words of expression to describe the grandeur of Lord Venkateswara. But let us still meditate upon his divine glory at all times. Let us have his darshan to cleanse away all our sins of past and present births. May we be endowed with virtues through his divine darshan.
According to the legend of Tirumala, Lord Brahma himself descends on earth to conduct a ten-day ‘Brahmotsavam’ celebration of ‘Akhilandakoti Bramandanayaka’ , who is supreme and matchless among the seven worlds, along with his consorts—Sridevi, Bhudevi. The ‘Veda swaroopa’ Garuda, Lord’s mount, is entrusted with the task of inviting all gods and goddesses to Brahmotsavam.
It will be a great feast to the eyes to visualise the Lord Venkateswara’s grandeur during the celebrations of Brahmotsavam.
Lord’s Mesmerising Form
Srivenkatesam ati sundara mohanangam l
Sri bhumikaanta aravinda dalaayataaksham ll
The above verse throws a light on the most captivating appearance of Lord Venkateswara with wide lotus-like eyes and a charming body. He preferred to stay amidst his ardent devotees rather than in ‘Vaikuntam’, his celestial abode. On top of Venkatadri Hill, he manifested himself as a ‘Saligrama’ stone idol with Goddess Lakshmi on His right chest. Since Goddess Lakshmi resides in the Lord’s chest, he is praised as ‘Srinivasa’.
Lord’s Unique Posture
The self-manifested ‘Salagrama’ idol is adorned with a gem-studded golden crown and a ‘Yagnopavitam’ over the shoulders. It has four arms. The upper right arm holds the Sudarshana Chakra, while the upper left arm holds the Panchajanya, the conch. The lower right hand of the Lord is in the ‘Varada hasta’ posture that reveals his compassion towards his devotees.
The lower left hand is in the ‘Katyavalambita’ posture. The fingers of the left hand rest on the left thigh, with the thumb of the hand parallel to the waist line, signifying that in accordance with the Vedic phrase ‘Samsara sagara samuttaranaika setho’, he will rescue his devotees from the clutches of worldly suffering by being a mighty bridge with the support of his sturdy knees.
This marvellous form of Lord Venkateswara manifests an upsurge of spiritual divinity that fills the hearts of devotees with spectacular scintillations of eternal bliss. Visit this Ananda Nilayam and get ‘Spiritual Bliss’.
Abode of Happiness
Other than priests, no one is allowed to enter into Sanctum Sanctorum. The details about the Sannidhi are furnished by the priests. As it has been already mentioned the Chief Idol of Lord Venkateswara is not a stone carved one. It is a Self Produced or Self Formed Image of Lord Venkateswara. The place from where He has emerged has been converted into Sanctum Sanctorum. This is otherwise known as ‘Ananda Nilayam’, i.e., an Abode of Happiness.
A golden tower has been constructed over this abode. It has been named as Ananda Nilaya Vimanam. Sanctum Sanctorum is a 12.9″ x 12.9″ rectangular construction. The walls are much more wider (7.2″) than Sayana Mandiram walls. The temple researchers believe that a wall was constructed afterwards abutting the wall which was already there. Because of this additional wall the total width of the wall has become 7.2″.
They further say that the Ananda Nilayam tower is standing on the new wall. It is believed that the tower might have been constructed between 1244-50A.D. Based on this research it is now widely believed that before the construction of this new abutting wall there was space to perform the circumambulations of Sanctum Sanctorum.
Over a period of time, because of the construction of Sayana Mandapam and Ramulavaari Meda, the temple authorities would have blocked the old path of circumambulation.
Have a look at Him with your wide-open eyes. Since time immemorial, poojas, Utsavams etc., have been performed as prescribed in Vykhanasa Agama (divinity describing religious rites). The Chief Idol (Moolavirat) is immovable, stable one.
Apart from this, there are four movable images – Utsava, Kouthuka, Bali, Snapana. All the four Movable Images are made of panchalohas i.e., an alloy of five metals.
Brahma Akhandam
Not only the aforesaid four images, there are images of Sri Sudarsana Chakrathalvar, Seetha-Rama- Lakshmana, Rukhmini-Sri Krishna are also there in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Apart from these panchaloha idols there are holy salagramas in the Sanctum Sanctorum. Poojas and Abhishekams are offered daily to these holy salagramas.
In the Sanctum Sanctorum to the right side of the Chief Idol in the southeast direction, and to left in the northeast direction, there are two lamps which will emit light continuously on 24 x 7 basis. These lamps are known as ‘Brahma Akhandam’. It is said these lamps were first lit by Brahma, the creator.
